Define: Gossip
Any statement about another made by someone with negative intent, or any statement about another that the speaker would be unwilling to share in exactly the same way if that person were in the same room.
Excerpt from the Book:
Conscious leaders recognize the cost of gossip to their organizations and shift so that expression is done instead with candor and authentic feelings. They free up creative energy and collaboration, which can’t exist while gossip is present.
From Above the Line
By Me:
I commit to ending gossip, talking directly to people with whom I have an issue or concern, and encouraging others to talk directly to people with whom they have an issue or concern
From below the Line
To Me:
I commit to saying things about people that I have not or will not say to them. I commit to talking about people in ways I wouldn’t if they were there. I commit to listening to others when they gossip.
Practice It:
Begin to eliminate gossip from your interactions by committing to yourself and to key people in your life that you will no longer gossip. This is a simple and profound commitment.
Then, identify any areas in your life where you have gossiped about someone or listened to gossip. If you are gossiping, stop. Go direct to the person if you are willing to and reveal your unarguable truth (see commitment #4). If you are listening to gossip, stop.
For advanced practitioners, you can use the clearing model to speaking directly to someone about an issue. For some, this practice alone has revolutionized their relationships, resulting in great leaps in their leadership both at work and at home. However, for the model to be most effective, it is important to use the clearing model only when above the line, and with someone who is also committed to practicing conscious leadership.
Additional Resources
- What do I X Out
- The Clearing Model
- How to use the clearing model video
- Fact vs Story
- 15 Commitments Book
